In a momentous international breakthrough, the High Seas Treaty has been formally ratified, with South Africa as one of the signatories. A decisive momentThe High Seas Treaty opened for signature in September 2023. That signing demonstrated the government’s commitment to join the new global ocean governance regime and invited legislative ratification. Why this mattersThe High Seas Treaty fills a long-standing gap in the international architecture for ocean protection. Read more: Africa must capitalise on transformative High Seas Treaty for global ocean conservationBecause the high seas are a common resource – neither owned by any single country nor fully regulated – the treaty’s legally binding status is a major turning point.